We have been enjoying playing with our new mBot Ultimate robot from Makeblock. I was fortunate to be asked to review this product, and the kids and adults in our house have had fun building and experimenting with our first build, the "Robotic Arm Tank" robot.
Makeblock creates products for STEAM education that help people turn their "ideas into reality". The mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 coding robot kit will certainly inspire teens and families who love to build and engineer to explore robotics and coding in depth. Read on to find out what we liked best about this robot building kit.
Please note: I was given this product free of charge and invited to honestly review this product
and become an affiliate of Makeblock. I was not otherwise compensated to write this post. This post contains
affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission from purchases made
through these links, at no additional cost to you. Please see
disclosures for more information.
Unboxing mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 Coding Robot
The mBot Ultimate comes with a ton of pieces and components to build 10 robots with different features. It's essentially a modern erector set with metal support pieces, motors, sensors and a circuit board.
The box consists of 2 layers of pieces. The instruction booklet has a detailed listing of parts with illustrations. After building our first robot, I would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with all the parts prior to building. Some of the hardware is very well organized and labeled, while other parts are not. If I was going to use this in a classroom, after-school team or club setting I would be sure to either label the hardware in advance or dedicate time to allow students to identify which piece is which.
The instruction manual has the directions for the Robotic Arm Tank, which is what we built, the Beverage Robot, and the Camera Dolly. You can follow a link in the manual to directions for the other builds, however if you speak and read English you will have to translate the page to English with your web browser. In order to download further instructions you must create a free account on the site. After quite a bit of digging, we found easier access to the additional builds. You can find the instructions for the additional robots here in .pdf form.
You can also find additional help and resources for the Ultimate 10-in-1 Coding Robot here.
Building the mBot Ultimate Robot
This was not a quick build, but it resulted in a sturdy robot that my kids want to keep playing around with. I would highly recommend this kit for the teen who has a vested interest in engineering and robotics. Like any building project there is some trial and error especially when building with so many small parts. Patience and the willingness to make adjustments as you go is key! The mBot Ultimate would be perfect for an older child who has experience creating with LEGO, or building with tools. However, it would also be a great project for any age with help from an adult.
Even my preschool and elementary school aged children enjoyed tinkering around with the pieces and built their own creations as we went.
There are no special tools needed to assemble the robot. The one screwdriver needed is included in the kit.
Coding and Playing with Makeblock's mBot Ultimate Robot
Once the robot was built, it was not difficult to get it up and running. There are many options for coding the mBot Ultimate robot. Beginners can use the mBlock app for simple block coding. For more advanced coding it is compatible with Arduino or Python coding combined with Raspberry Pi.
We used an iPad to remote control our robot with the app available from Makeblock. Here is a peek into what the app looks like as you are using it to control the robot, and while you are coding.
https://www.makeblock.com/?ref=UJWJzPw-bQClUh&utm_medium=5544&utm_source=influencer
And here is our robot in action, helping us tidy up!
Makeblock mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 Robot: Summary
Overall, we really enjoyed the process of building, coding and interacting with our Makeblock mBot Ultimate robot kit. I would recommend it based on the quality of the parts, the versatility of the components and the ability to build 10 different projects with one kit. I liked that the compatibility of the robotic components with various coding apps and languages, such as Arduino, Python and components compatible with Raspberry Pi, gives basic coding options for beginners, and gives experts the opportunity to try something new.
The robot kit is STEM through and through with a good combination of each STEM discipline: technology through coding, science and technology through the use of sensors, math in the measurements and sizes of components, the engineering process through building, testing, trial and error.
The kit comes at a higher price point, but for the right kid or family the mBot Ultimate would be a great investment as there is a lot of play and learning value here. There are also many other robots and products available from Makeblock in a range of prices that would meet the need of different budgets, ages and learning goals.
Use code: SAVE10 for $10 off your first purchase!
Teachers can join Makeblock's discount program and purchase kits for their classroom. Learn more here.
Would we recommend Makeblock's mBot Ultimate 10-in-1 Robot Kit? Definitely. We are already thinking of what we might be able to do with our next mBot Ultimate build. Check out Makeblock! I think you and your favorite little (or big!) engineer will be glad that you did.
